Stop Russia or face destructive arms race, Zelensky tells UN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on world powers on Wednesday to work together to stop Russia’s war in his country, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of seeking to expand the fighting beyond Ukraine. He said in a speech to the 193-member United Nations General Assembly that the war had helped unleash the most destructive arms race in history and that Ukraine was moving to open up the export of its weapons to allies. “The facts are simple, stopping this war … is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later,” he said.
He pointed to alleged airspace violations by Russian drones and fighter jets in NATO’s Poland and Estonia as evidence that Putin was testing new boundaries in the war in Ukraine. “Now Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries,” he said. “Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it, and no one can feel safe right now.” Zelenskiy said Ukraine had decided to begin exporting its weapons to allies. “You don’t need to start this race from scratch. We’re ready to share what has already proven itself,” he said, referring to defense production. “We are ready to make our modern weapons become your modern security. We have decided to open up arms export. And these are powerful systems tested in a real war when every international institution failed,” he said.
Zelensky urged Western allies to step up support for Moldova amid growing Russian interference in its domestic politics. Moldova is preparing for parliamentary elections, where pro-Russian parties are expected to challenge the ruling pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). Zelensky compared Moldova to countries like Georgia and Belarus, which he said fell under Russian influence due to a lack of sustained international attention. Under the leadership of the ruling Georgian Dream party, founded by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, Tbilisi has moved closer to Russia and stalled its accession to the EU.